Jubilee Act of 2007: National Call-in Day on October 15
You can help cancel the debt of 67 impoverished countries by calling the Capital switchboard at 1-800-393-1082 October 15, 2007 and asking your representative to support H.R. 2634, the Jublilee Act.
2007 is the Sabbath Year, seven years after the historic Jubilee 2000 campaign brought the issue of crushing international debt onto the agenda of world leaders. The Sabbath Year is an opportunity to reflect on the life-saving impacts of debt cancellation provided in 1999 and again in 2005 while addressing the unfinished agenda on international debt. As part of the Sabbath Year, Jubilee USA Network is calling on Congress to pass the Jubilee Act, H.R. 2634. This legislation will improve lending behavior and expand debt cancellation, a proven means of fighting poverty, to all the impoverished countries that need it to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
On Thursday, June 7, 2007, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) introduced the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation H.R. 2634 in the House of Representatives. This legislation calls for more transparent and responsible behavior by creditors as well as expended debt cancellation for all 67 countries that need it to meet the MDGs, without imposing harmful economic conditions. Only 40 countries are eligible under current debt relief schemes, and of those 40, only 20 have actually had their debts cancelled. Jubilee USA Network is calling on Members of Congress in the House to support improved creditor behavior and debt cancellation in impoverished countries by co-sponsoring the Jubilee Act.
Find out if your representative has signed on the support the Jubilee Act. If they have not indicated support, please call and ask them to do so. If they are already supporting the Jubilee Act, please call and thank them.
For more information on the Jubilee Act, visit the Jubilee USA Network web site.
